Trump's tariff talks signal potential shifts in the US-China trade alliance

Annem Urshita Sri | China Global Television Network

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During the recent press conference, Mr Trump had responded to questions on future agreements with China in a casual tone.

Mr Trump had mentioned how he may have to “increase tariffs on China to 100%, 200% and maybe even 1000%” during the recent press conference. On 9 April 2025, he had done something similar by raising tariffs on China to 145% along with a range of additional duties on other global trade partners. This had caused multiple impacts. Firstly, the disruption of global supply chains, as companies had shifted their suppliers to avoid tariffs which caused delays and higher coordination costs. While looking to maintain stability for its own company, this has collectively led to increasing prices across manufacturing networks. Secondly, it had also caused the increase in production costs worldwide. Higher tariffs raised input costs for manufacturers in multiple countries, not only U.S. and China.

There were no effective policies or measures introduced along with these tariffs to prevent these global problems and so it is unsure whether future tariffs will be helpful in maintaining trade stability or whether it will add fuel to the fire. French president Emmanuel Macron had also said “trade wars benefit no one and weaken collective economic confidence” showing how with no controlled measures, the tariffs could possibly lead to further economic instability.

Mr Trump also answered questions directly pertaining to the relationship between China and America. When first asked about previous agreements with China, he said that he makes “great deals with China” and that the Chinese “president is a great person”. When asked again about the possible future cooperations between China and America and the use of Chinese goods, he

said that “China is always creating ways to have problems with America” and that “China is a bit hesitant to help America” suggesting China’s reluctance to assist the U.S..

The responses make it unclear what his overall position on China may be, whether he supports China or is against it. Both cooperative and critical elements are present in his words within a short span of remarks. This reflects a certain degree of variability in his public positioning with statements appearing to shift according to the context, audience, and circumstance. This pattern has made it difficult to identify a consistent and sustained approach in his description of the bilateral relationship.

Mr Trump had also said that “the tariffs don't affect other countries”. However, economic models suggest that for most countries, the tariffs had reduced GDP. For instance, studies predict the EU’s GDP could contract by 0.3%. The

tariffs had also led to currency devaluation in countries like China, Mexico, and Canada. Furthermore, American citizens themselves have been facing economic prices due to the tariffs increasing prices for their families.

This shows how Mr Trump’s statement mainly proves to be false due to the financial impacts on other countries as well as U.S itself. It has raised questions about the extent to which the broader economic implications have been fully accounted for in his statements due to the contrast between the stated outcomes of the tariffs and the observable financial effects.

All things considered, during the recent press conference with Mr Trump, he talked about the possibility of new high-level tariffs. Similar past tariffs had shown significant consequences questioning the ability of future tariffs to maintain economic and trade stability. He had also mentioned both complimentary and critical ideas in terms of the relationship between China and the U.S. Lastly, he had mentioned that there were no effects on the tariffs on other countries, while

economic models suggest that the tariffs had caused financial effects on many other countries like Canada, India, and other European countries.